CAH Story
by book.queen.2006
Summary: A story about a girls condition and how she struggles with it.


A True Friend 

Chapter 1

"Michelle Hall, where are you?" my mom asked.

"In my room," I answered back. I had just moved to Texas and all I wanted to do was play on my computer. It had been packed for the entire summer because our house in California did not sell as quickly as we had hoped. I was so happy to get on the computer that I did not want to unpack. On AIM, Debbie told me about what classes she was taking and how she would miss me tomorrow. I told her I did not start until Tuesday and that I wished I was in California going to school with her. I had just finished telling her good luck when Mom came to the door. I could tell by her face that she was not pleased.

She said, "Please get off the computer, so I can talk to you." Once I was off, she started to tell me that I needed to unpack more than play on the computer. She told me I had only one more day to unpack and then I would be in school. She asked if I had found my box of school supplies we had bought in California. I told her I had not come across the box yet. She left my room muttering under her breath about how the computer can make me forget everything else that is important.

My forest green eyes shot fire towards the door as my mom left. She doesn't understand how hard it is to be twelve. Since I have a rare genetic condition called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH), I am different than other kids my own age. Due to the disorder, I am short, five foot one and I retain water which makes my weight over a hundred and sixty pounds. Other than my weight and height, I don't think I look too bad. I like my long brown hair and tan skin. I like to collect stamps and read books. As I unpacked, I wondered if I would find someone at my new school that I could discuss books with and share my fifty state stamp collection with. I hope that Denton will be different than Los Angeles. My mom and younger sister are excited to be in a new place. I, on the other hand, don't want to be here for I am not good at making friends. Girls my age are interested in shopping and the latest guy, but I would prefer to read a book.

My mom and sister have no problem making friends. They both have blond hair and are perfect in body size and tan. Joy is three years younger than me and always has friends over. When I complain to my mom, she tells me I am just like my dad. She tells me not to compare myself to my sister for everyone is different. I don't want to be different. As I listened to my favorite CD, I start un-packing the boxes in my room. Joy tells me that dinner is ready so I go downstairs to eat. After eating, I was just too tired to do anything, so I went to bed.

Chapter 2

It was the morning of the first day of school. My room was finally un-packed and my school supplies were in a stack on my desk. I lay in my bed unable to move. I did not want to get up. I remembered the school in California. I was always teased by the other kids. The popular students would joke, play mean tricks and make hurtful comments. My mom kept me from rolling back over to go back to sleep for she yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"Michelle, you have thirty minutes before we have to leave. I'll bring your breakfast in the car so you can eat while I am registering Joy at her school." As I thought about my day, I was a little excited to see my school library. I really wanted to check out the twelfth book in the Lemony Snicket series. Like always, I prayed that God would help me with my day and to make the right choices to please Him. Then, I put my feet on the floor and started my day. Since I had chosen what I was going to wear last night I did not have to figure out what to wear.

Mom and Joy were waiting in the car, when I finally made it downstairs. I quickly took my medicine and grabbed a water bottle. I jumped into the car and we headed to Joy's school. I ate the sausage egg burrito that Mom had prepared for breakfast. When she climbed back into the car, she handed me $5.00 to purchase a school lunch and we started toward the middle school.

I looked at the school map and the schedule I was given as my mother filled out the school paperwork. Then, the receptionist told us how to get to the nurse's office. When we got there the nurse asked me what the medicine was for. I told her that it was for my adrenal insufficiency. She said that I could not keep them with me like I did in California. I would have to have a form filled out so that I could take them in her office on a daily basis. Mom was already prepared for she had brought a form printed with all the information the nurses needed to know about my condition. She filled out the medical permission form so I could take what I needed at school. All of a sudden, I heard the most annoying sound in the world. It was the bell. It sounded like there was a phone in every room and every single one had gone off.

At first, I was not sure what class to go to. I did not see a homeroom on my schedule. So I asked the nurse if I went to the first class on my schedule which was science. She said to go to my homeroom teacher which was my fifth period class. Since our conversation was going to make me late for my first class, she gave me a pass and I went to reading.

When I got there, I saw the tallest teacher I had ever seen. Mr. Jones was at least 6' 5". I did not get much time to get to know him for the bell rang and I had to go to my first period class. However, my first impression was that he was really funny and that he could brighten my day no matter what may happen. I looked forward to fifth period class with him.

Science with Mrs. Cowart was going to be hard for in the past I have not done well. She seemed to be very understanding and easy to get along with so I might excel in her class. Then English was after that and my teacher was Mrs. Thomas. She was a petite lady that spoke quietly. I sat in the front row so I could hear her. Next was Gym which is the subject I hate the most. Because of my condition, I overheat quickly and sweat like a pig. I have never been very athletic and I am quite slow due to my size. I liked Mrs. Brown for she said she grades our participation not how well we perform. Maybe this year I will like gym. After that class, I met Coach Kinnison who was my Texas history teacher. This class is a waste of my time. I didn't want to come to Texas and I definitely do not want to learn about its history.

I finally made it to my fifth period. It was great to be in a class where I could enjoy myself. When I arrived at the class, Mr. Jones told me to go to the cafeteria for it was lunch time. I looked at my map and headed to the cafeteria. After lunch, I went to the nurse's office and took my medicine. She asked how my day was going and how was lunch. I told her it was fine but that I was still hungry. She explained that taking a steroid makes most people hungry. She also said that2 steroids influence body metabolism, which is the process by which the body changes food into energy. I quickly headed for reading so I would not be late. I hit the door just as the bell rang. Mr. Jones told us to choose a book off his shelf and begin to read. He did not have to tell me twice. I was in heaven!

As I thought about my day and what Debbie was doing, I realized that I had an advantage in my new Texas school that I would not have had in California. Because I was in seventh grade, I was given the opportunity to choose two subjects that I wanted in my schedule. I chose Spanish and Choir. My Spanish teacher was named Mrs. Holloway. She had an accent for she had moved from Venezuela recently. Choir was my last class of the day. Mrs. Fannin seemed very nice and I felt like I might have another class where I could enjoy myself. Math was in between Spanish and Choir. I had always done well in math but I was about to learn pre-algebra. Mrs. Pace said to keep up with the homework and pay attention in class because algebra could become difficult if a student falls behind. After she finished speaking, she got a big "uhhhh" from the entire class.

That afternoon my mom came and picked me up. On the way home, she asked how my first day had been. I told her it was okay, but that I still liked California better. She said to give Texas a little more time. When I reached home, all I wanted to do was go to my room and read the book I had chosen in Mr. Jones' reading class. That night after I had eaten dinner, I took a shower, prepared my clothes for tomorrow and finished reading the book I borrowed. Before I fell asleep, I decided to go to the library in the morning before homeroom to see if the book I wanted was available.

Chapter 3

The next morning, I awoke in a happier mood. I felt better about middle school for I knew the layout of the building and most of my teachers were acceptable. This however did not change the fact that I did not want to get up again. I waited to long to get up, so I had to race out the door a second day, so Joy would not be late. As soon as I arrived at school, I got a pass to go to the library. When I entered, I asked the librarian if she could direct me towards the Lemony Snicket books. As she showed me to the section, she said she had two copies of the latest book. I told her that was what I was searching for. I took the only copy on the shelf and went to the check-out desk. A girl with red hair was checking out a book before me. The librarian said to her that she had just helped me find the same book. The girl turned to look at me and saw the book in my hand. She introduced herself and said she had seen me in science class yesterday. She asked if I wanted to walk with her to class. We sat together and compared schedules. Sammie and I discovered that we shared gym and choir together besides science class.

During third period gym class with Mrs. Brown, Sammie asked me a question. She asked me why I had taken off my bracelet and put it on the ledge. She also asked why do I even wear the bracelet. I told her that I had a rare condition called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia or CAH for short. I also told her that I wore the bracelet because people with this genetic disorder should wear medical alert bracelet or necklace that says **3 **"adrenal insufficiency in emergencies give cortisone." This would help paramedics or medical personnel help me survive since my body will not react like a normal person's body would.

I felt like she really wanted to know about my condition. I had never felt comfortable telling people about CAH. Debbie did not even know about it. I told her that 4 congenital meant present at birth, adrenal meant it involved the adrenal glands, and that hyperplasia meant that the adrenal glands were over grown. I also told her that I had 5 an insufficient amount of one of the enzymes that is needed to manufacture cortisol. This natural hormoneis essential for life because it 6 regulates salt and sugar. Everybody needs a balance of the two. Without cortisone, my body will not adjust when stress or injury happens which could lead to death. We had to stop talking so we could listen to Mrs. Brown.

When we met again in choir, I asked Sammie if she wanted to come over on Friday. She said she would ask her dad and she would tell me Thursday. I told her I would also have to ask my mother also.

That night at home when mom tucked me in bed I told her about my new friend Sammie. Mom told me that it was an awesome start and that Sammie could come over as long as she could meet Sammie's parents. I told her that I would talk to Sammie at school to find out what her parents had decided. It turned out that Sammie could come over and that our parents would get together Friday evening when we picked her up.

Chapter 4

The next morning, when I woke up I jumped out of bed and was dressed and ready in record time. Mom was astonished that I was at the kitchen table before Joy. I was so excited about tonight. I was rushing everyone to get in the car. I knew the faster we started our day the quicker I could get to the evening. Once I had gotten to school, I immediately looked for Sammie. It took me about ten minutes to find her. We talked about the chapters we had read last night as we walked to first period. In science, we choose lab partners and Sammie's last name was at the beginning of the alphabet so she got to chose before I had a chance. I was delighted that she chose me. I think I might have a friend.

We did not talk much in gym class for we were on opposite teams. In the locker room, I told her we had to change our plans for this evening. My mom had called during second period to tell me to ride the bus home for our car was in the shop. Sammie said she would ask her mother if they could take me home and she would let me know at lunch. Her mom said it was fine with her as long as my mom approved of her driving me home. I called my mother at work right before choir and she said that it was fine.

My mom and Sammie's mom talked while Sammie and I went upstairs to my room. We first talked about me being made fun of in gym. I told her how much I hated it and I wished it would stop. She told me if she had heard what Chandler had said she would have tried to help. This really made me happy to know that someone was willing to stick up for me.

After that I asked her if she wanted to know more about my condition. To my surprise she wanted to learn all she could. I told her that there are three differences in my body compared to her body. I told her the first was what we already talked about, the lack of cortisol. 7 The second weakness I have is that I am unable to make enough aldosterone. Since I make very little the doctor calls my condition the salt-wasting type. This is not good for I lose large amounts of salt when I go to the restroom. I also told her that I dehydrate very easily so I drink a lot of water and then have to go to the bathroom a lot. Since I do not retain 7 salt like most people I do not grow properly and at the right rate. Lastly, 8 my body produces too much androgen. This hormone, made by the adrenals, make the body grow. If high levels of this hormone continue to be produced, I will grow too fast and then stop before I reach adulthood. Another thing we talked about was 8 hormone therapy, which are the medicines I must take daily. They enable me to overcome many of the symptoms but cannot cure me. Just then, Joy knocked on my door and told me dinner was ready. Sammie and I raced each other down the stairs.

After we had eaten dinner, we decided to go play on the Nintendo. We played "The New Tetris" game that Sammie had brought from her house. I thought it was a lot of fun. Next, we pulled out the sleeper sofa and Sammie and I watched the Lemony Snicket Movie "A Series of Unfortunate Events" that Mom had rented earlier in the week. When the movie was over, our fun came to an end for my mom said that dreadful word all parents love. Bedtime!

We decided to sleep upstairs. We left the living room mess for my mom to clean and went to get sleeping bags to sleep on the floor in my room. Once we were both in our sleeping bags, neither of us wanted to go to sleep, so we just talked about the movie and how it was similar or different from the book series. The last time I looked at the clock it was 2:00 in the morning. I don't know who fell asleep first; but when I awoke at 4:00 to go to the bathroom, Sammie was asleep.

Chapter 5

I awoke to the smell of blueberry pancakes. Sammie's arm was lying across me as she lay on her back. As I tried to move her arm up, I woke her. She asked what she was smelling, and I told her the best pancakes in the universe. We fumbled around trying to get dressed to go downstairs. As we sat down, Sammie commented about how fluffy the pancakes looked. Joy said they tasted better than they look. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and planned what we would do for the remainder of the day. As we cleared the breakfast dishes, Sammie saw Cody in my Mom's study. She asked if she could go in and check it out. My mother said that it was okay as long as we were careful with Cody for he was expensive. Sammie was fascinated with the body system model that we had named Cody. My mother had bought it when she was studying to be a doctor. I pointed out the body part I had been discussing the night before. The 9 adrenal glands were located on top of the kidneys. Sammie commented that they looked about the 10 size of a walnut. I also showed her that each adrenal gland had two parts, 11 the outer cortex and the 12 inner medulla. I then told her what each part of the adrenal gland did. The 13 cortex produces the hormones cortisol, aldosterone, and androgens. The 14 medulla produces the hormone adrenalin (epinephrine). After Sammie was through exploring Cody, we went upstairs to my room.

She asked what games I had for the computer. I immediately thought of Road Adventure USA. She had never heard of the game. I explained how it was played, and she agreed to try it. We had an incredible time traveling down roads as the clues led us to new places. I discovered my new found friend was pretty knowledgeable about the United States and its national landmarks. We were quite upset when Sammie's Dad showed up in his grayish blue P.T. Cruiser. Our fun abruptly came to an end.

Chapter 6

The following Friday, I had an appointment to see my new endocrinologist. Since the appointment was at 3:30 in Lewisville, I left school around 3:00. The travel time for Mom and me was about fifteen minutes. It was just enough time to talk about my day on the way. I was in a terrible mood for I had been teased in gym class again. Mrs. Brown had heard what Chandler had said. She made him run laps for his unsportsmanlike behavior. Now, Chandler was mad at me for he blamed me for his running laps.

Once we had entered the office, I saw about twenty chairs in the waiting room along with a small T.V. Mom started filling out the paperwork the receptionist handed her. I sat down to watch what was playing on the television. After viewing it for a few minutes, I realized that it was one of my favorite books. I had never seen the movie, "Because Of Winn Dixie"; I had only read the book.

In California, the endocrinologist was always running behind schedule. I usually waited about thirty minutes after arriving before I finally was called back to a room. However, this office was quite different. I only had to wait fifteen minutes. When my name was called, I slowly went to the door where the nurse was standing. I did not want to take my eyes off the T.V. as I walked.

The first thing the nurse did was have me step on the scale in the corner. She said that if I knew how to run the machine I could do it myself. Since I have been coming to a doctor's office every four months since I was born, I knew how to use a triple beam scale. After being weighed, she measured my height against the wall. I touched my toes and reached up high just like I had done countless times in the past. Lastly, she took my blood pressure. She said it was in the normal range. Then, we went to the examining room and waited for the endocrinologist.

We did not wait long. Dr. Hinckley quickly came in and started asking questions. First he asked what type of medicine I was taking. I told him I take 15 Hydrocortisone (Cortef) and Fludrocortisone (Florinef). I explained that I take half a tablet twice a day of Florinef and one full tablet three times a day of Cortef. Then, he asked how I had been feeling lately. He wanted to know if I had been sick since my last doctor's visit. He asked if I had used any 16 stress dosages. I told him I had not had to triple my Cortef.

After he finished asking questions, he told me that my weight and height was following the curve nicely. He said that I was a healthy young lady and to come back in about four months. Before he left the room, he gave my mother a form to take to the lab so they would know what blood tests to draw. We left the examining room and made an appointment in January for my next check-up. Mom paid her co-pay for the doctor's visit and we left to go home.

Mom picked up Joy from school for she had stayed late to audition for choir. When I got home I called Sammie. We talked about 30 minutes while Mom cooked dinner. She talked about gym class and I told her all about my doctor's visit. When Mom called Joy and me to dinner, I ended the phone conversation.

Chapter 7

A few days later, Mom left work early so she could pick-up Joy and me from school. Mom asked if I had remembered to drink plenty of water. I had made sure to drink all day for it was easier for the lab technicians to draw blood when I had enough fluids in my body. As we traveled to Quest, Mom tried to answer the question Joy had asked concerning the reason I had to continually have my blood drawn. Mom said my body was not like hers. 18 She explained that my body lacked Cortisol and if it was not monitored closely, it could cause low blood sugar, drowsiness and even a coma. I finished the explanation by saying once the nurse finished drawing my blood; it was sent to be analyzed. My endocrinologist would read the result. He would know how well my medications are working and if the dosages needed to be changed. As we pulled into the parking lot, Mom explained that 19 hormone medications needed to be adjusted as a person grows and labs are the best way to see what is happening in the body. As soon as my mom stopped our Blue Volkswagen Bug, my sister and I slammed the doors to the car and raced to the front door of the building. She beat me again or did I just let her win. I like to believe that I allowed her to win because she is younger than me. It is easier than accepting the truth that she is actually faster than me. We entered the building together. There was one person with a two year old waiting. Mom went to the window and Joy and I sat down. I was not sitting long when the lab technician called my name and I went back. Mom stayed with Joy in the waiting room. The lab technician introduced herself as Lisa. As I sat down, she asked if I had ever had blood drawn before. When I said three or four times a year since I was born, she said, "Then you must be a pro."

I said, "I have to be, for I have CAH and I will never outgrow it." She said she had never heard of CAH. I told her I had inherited it from both of my parents who were carriers of the trait. For my body to function normally, I take two medicines daily. Then every four months, I must have my blood checked to see if my medicines need to be changed. She asked which arm I usually have blood taken from. I put my right arm up and she tied the rubber band around to stop the blood flow. She cleaned the spot she was going to inject with the needle and then counted to three. She hit a vein right away. She is one of the better lab technicians that I have seen over the years. It did not take long. Soon, Lisa was asking me what color wrap I wanted for my arm. I chose pink for she was out of blue, my favorite color. I walked back to the lobby where Mom and Joy were waiting. Mom said we needed to get a bone-age x-ray today, as well. In the car, as we traveled to Prima-Care, Joy asked why I needed an x-ray. Mom explained that with my disorder I get too much androgen. This can result in rapid growth of my bones. The growth plates will close up too early and I will stop growing. My doctor does not want that to happen because it would make me a short adult. I interrupted and explained how a bone age x-ray is taken. Since only one person is allowed in the x-ray room, I always go back by myself. I told Joy that I put my left hand on a square pad with a letter "L" in the corner. The technician puts a heavy lead apron on me and goes into a room to snap a picture of my hand. Then he develops it. He puts the x-ray on a lighted screen to make sure it is what the doctor needs. Then he puts it in an envelope for me to take out to bring to the endocrinologist's office. When we arrived at Prima-care, Mom gave the form to the front desk and was about to sit down, when the technician said I did not have to wait. I went immediately back to the x-ray machine. I was only with the technician for about five minutes. When I met up with my Mom, she took the envelope from me so it would not get bent. She showed it to Joy and said it looked like my bone age was thirteen and half. She then explained that my bones were 18 months ahead of my actual age. She said that normal children's bone-age, like Joy for example, can range a little above or below the actual age they turn on their birthday. As we walked back to the car, Mom asked what we wanted for dinner. Joy and I argued about what we wanted since we rarely agree on anything.

Chapter 8

It was Friday again! I was going to spend the night at Sammie's house and I was so excited. As I walked to the bathroom, I discovered I was the first one awake. I decided to go down stairs and make eggs for everyone. I made toast, sausage, and orange juice, as well. I was just putting everything on the table, when Mom came down the stairs. Her first words were, "Are you feeling alright?" I told her I was great. Then, she asked why I happened to be up earlier than the rest of the family. Joy answered Mom before I could say anything for my mouth was full. She reminded Mom that I was going to Sammie's house after school. We finished breakfast and Mom washed the dishes as I went back up stairs to get dressed. I was so thrilled; I put my shirt on backwards. I did not notice until I was leaving my room. I happened to glance at myself in the mirror. I was thankful I caught my mistake before Chandler pointed it out to the entire class in first period.

I met Sammie in the cafeteria and we made plans for our evening together. I was hoping to get to know her better. Since, I had met her, she had not said much about herself. We always talked about school, books or my medical condition. I knew she liked the computer and the same video games I did. She shared my love of music and singing. The bell for class to start stopped my thoughts. Sammie and I started walking to science class.

When we sat in our seats, I looked at the board and saw we were going to have a pop quiz. I put my binder on the floor under my desk and waited to fail. After grading the quizzes in class, I was delighted to see I had scored a 90! Sammie showed me her quiz. She also had made a good grade. When the bell rang for us to leave science, Sammie said she would see me third period. I quickly told her to have fun in math, her next period, as I raced out the door toward the bathroom. My next class was English. My good luck continued for we watched a movie, "Because of Winn Dixie". What are the odds that I would get to see it twice in a seven day period?

As the bell rang signaling the end of second period, a feeling of dread came over me. While I headed down the hallway to gym, I started to feel butterflies in my stomach. I wish I did not have to endure gym class with Chandler. I tried to not think about him and his hurtful words. I focused on the morning events that had already taken place and smiled as I thought about this evening and the fun I would have with Sammie.

Chapter 9

Gym class was a disaster. Because I had left early last Friday to get labs and an x-ray, I had forgotten to take my gym clothes home to be washed. I had no clean shorts or shirts so I borrowed a clean set from Sammie. Since she is smaller than me, the P.E. uniform was a little tighter than I normally liked to wear my clothes. As I walked to the gym, I prayed that Chandler had miraculously been called to the office to go home. No such luck. As I sat down, I noticed him scooting across the floor to get closer to where I had sat down. He started making fun of how tight my clothes were. He told me that I was getting really fat and that I should go find the local Twinkie joint. Sammie staying true to her promise and was quick to defend me. Mrs. Brown heard Chandler and Sammie and forced them to run laps. I felt bad for Sammie for she had not done anything wrong. After class when we were getting out of our uniforms, I apologized to Sammie for getting her in trouble. She told me there was really nothing to forgive and to forget about it for it was not my fault. She said she would see me in choir and to not let Chandler ruin my day.

Well, the day did get worse. In my next class, I did not feel very well, so I went to visit the nurse. She took my temperature and her thermometer read 105.3°F. She told me to lie down as she dimmed the lights. She called my mother immediately. Thankfully, my mother only works a few minutes away from the school. As soon as Mom arrived, she looked at my pale face and knew this was not good. She said thank you to the nurse and then she helped me walk out of the school. As I sat in the car, I look at the person driving. I did not know who it was. I was so tired and hot that I laid my head back and fell asleep.

The next thing I knew I was in the hospital. Doctors and nurses were running in and out of the room. I overheard one say something about a seizure and another about dehydration. I wondered were they talking about me. Then, I felt a pinch as an I.V. was hooked up to me. It started to pump fluids into my body. I kept asking for my mother. The nurses and doctors kept pointing to a woman that was standing next to my bed. I did not recognize who she was. I wondered why my mother wasn't here in the hospital with me.

I heard someone say she may not live if the high temperature did not drop. Many thought went through my head. _"What did he just say?"_ "_Was he talking about me?"_ "_Where is my mother?" "Why is she not with me?"_ I don't remember much after that.

Chapter 10

I awoke to my mother's smiling face. She told me that I had been asleep for quite a while. She explained that I had been so dehydrated that I did not know that she was even in the room. She informed me that the dehydration and a very high fever had caused me to have a seizure. She said she had not left my side since she had picked me up from school yesterday. The word yesterday traveled through my mind. My first thought was I had missed going over to Sammie's house. I asked Mom if she had called Sammie to tell her I was in the hospital. She said she had called Sammie's house while we were heading to the hospital.

After about ten minutes, the nurse came in and took my temperature. It had dropped 5.3 degrees since the school nurse had taken it at school yesterday. My temperature was now at 100°F. I was only 0.5 degrees from my normal rate of 99.5°F. Next, my endocrinologist came into the room. He said he liked that my temperature had dropped. He also said I was recovering nicely from my adrenal crisis. He said my body had not created enough cortisol so my body did not produce and use sugar efficiently. This low blood sugar caused drowsiness and high fever. In addition, I did not have enough salt during my crisis. The imbalance caused nausea, dehydration, extreme muscle weakness and weakness of the heart muscle. He asked if I had been able to eat anything. I said I had eaten some apple sauce, chicken noodle soup and crackers. I told him I was finishing a popsicle as he had entered my hospital room. Dr Hinckley said he felt I was recovering nicely. Therefore, he said I was able to go home and that he wanted to see me in his office in a week.

Mom started to prepare for us to go home. After she had packed up my things, she went to the nurse's station to sign the hospital release forms. As I sipped on the straw in my Sprite,

there was a light knock on the door. I said, "Come in." As I looked up from my cup, I saw that it was Sammie. I was overjoyed to see Sammie and wondered if she was upset that I had missed our Friday night fun.

When she entered the room, she handed me a gray stuffed kitty cat that looked exactly like my pet, Buddy. She had flowers and a card that said "HOPE YOU GET WELL SOON". I said I was glad to see her and thanked her for my gifts. Then I asked her to sit down, so that we could talk. She said her dad was in the parking lot waiting for her, so she did not have much time. As she pulled a chair close to my bed, I thought I could never find a friend like her for we had so much in common. She seemed to understand me.

She was the first to speak. "Since you have been in the hospital, I have been thinking about our friendship."

My heart dropped to my toes. _"Was our friendship going to end?" _I thought. I could not speak. I just listened to what she would say next.

She continued by saying, "We share many things that could make us very close. I hesitate to tell you what I am thinking for it may break the bond between us." At this point in the conversation, I was ready to scream "_JUST SAY IT … MY FEELINGS ARE ALWAYS BEING HURT! WHY WOULD IT MATTER NOW?"_ She did exactly what I was thinking. Just like when the doors are unlocked and a prisoner is released, these exact words were spoken.

"I have CAH just like you. I'm sorry to have kept it a secret and I hope you can forgive me? As you spoke about your condition, I should have told you I had it also. As time passed, I was afraid you would be angry because I hadn't told you sooner. I always went to the nurse after you to take my medicine. She wanted to let you know you were not alone. But I asked her not to tell you there was another student in the school with the same condition. I wear a necklace instead of a bracelet and keep it under my shirt so no one can see it. Now that you know, will you ever forgive me?"

I could not be angry for I was delighted that Sammie and I were even more alike that I had originally thought. I looked her right in the eyes and repeated what she had said once to me. "There is really nothing to forgive. Forget about it. I'm glad you told me. I have always wanted a friend like Ann Shirley found in Diana Harris. I think we are "kindred spirits" like in the book, Anne of Green Gables." As soon as I spoke, she gave me a giant hug. We then vowed to be best friend forever. I had finally found a true friend.


End file.
